GREENVILLE, United States — Actress Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence on Sunday and could not be revived, authorities said.
She was 36.
Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call reporting a cardiac arrest in Greenville on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
Panettiere was temporarily staying at the residence, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
First responders found her in cardiac arrest and attempted to resuscitate her. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., about 40 minutes after the emergency call.
An acquaintance made the 911 call, police said.
Autopsy Finds No Signs of Trauma
An autopsy was performed on Monday.
The coroner’s office said investigators found no signs of trauma that contributed to Panettiere’s death.
Police also said their preliminary investigation had found no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
The official cause and manner of death remain undetermined while authorities await additional testing.
Panettiere’s representative confirmed her death on behalf of her family.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said.
“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
Career Began Before Her First Birthday
Panettiere began appearing in commercials as a baby before moving into television and film.
She played Lizzie Spaulding on the soap opera Guiding Light and appeared alongside Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader at the centre of NBC’s Heroes.
She later starred opposite Connie Britton in Nashville as country singer Juliette Barnes, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
Her other films included Ice Princess, Bring It On: All or Nothing, I Love You, Beth Cooper and Scream 4. She returned to the role of Kirby Reed in Scream VI.
More recently, she appeared in Amber Alert and the 2026 film Sleepwalker.
Panettiere Had Written About Personal Struggles
Earlier this year, Panettiere released a memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she discussed growing up in the entertainment industry, addiction, postpartum depression, recovery and domestic abuse.
She had previously spoken publicly about seeking treatment and about the difficult decision for her daughter, Kaya, to live with her former partner, Ukrainian former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere also endured the death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at 28 from complications involving an enlarged heart.
She described him earlier this year as her “other half”.
Beyond entertainment, Panettiere supported mental-health awareness, animal welfare and environmental causes.
She also became an advocate for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, establishing a relief fund to help provide medical supplies and protective equipment.
Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter and her parents.
Authorities said the investigation into her death remains active. A definitive cause will not be announced until the coroner receives the results of further medical studies.
